Man survives 15-story fall in New Zealand

British man tumbles after trying to lower himself onto his balcony

A British man is lucky to be alive after surviving a 15-story fall from an apartment building in New Zealand.

Tom Stilwell tumbled from his neighbor's balcony at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to BBC News.

According to police, he locked himself out of his apartment and was trying to lower himself onto his balcony -- directly below his neighbor's balcony -- when he missed and fell.

"He just requested 'Can you please let me jump off from the balcony? I will not bother you, just let me use your balcony,'" neighbor Geraldine Bautista told the New Zealand Herald. "I never thought he would really do that. In my mind I thought 'OK, I'll just let you see that it's really impossible. I didn't think he'd jump, because it's really scary.'"

Stilwell suffered bone fractures and some internal injuries but is otherwise "fine" and "a very lucky man," his friends told New Zealand's Fairfax Media.He was awake and laughing on Monday, but had no idea what had happened.

"He looks all right," roommate Beth Goodwin told Fairfax Media. "It's more internal injuries. He's broken some bones in his ribs and neck but they're not important bones."

The 20-year-old was said to be in New Zealand on a working vacation.

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